What really happened to McLaren in Spain

McLaren has a good car this season, but has struggled to unlock its potential. Adam Cooper spoke to Martin Whitmarsh to find out why, and ask what exactly happened in Spanish GP qualifying

The 2012 season could hardly have got off to a better start for McLaren when Jenson Button won in Australia, backed by Lewis Hamilton in third. Since then, by its usual high standards, things have rarely gone right for the Woking team.

Like everyone else, McLaren is struggling to come to terms with Pirelli's 2012 tyres, but there have been other problems that were within the team's control. Hamilton in particular has been unlucky, suffering with a gearbox grid penalty in China, various pitstop dramas and, most costly of all, the fuelling error that dropped him to the back of the grid in Spain.